Keystone (Berkeley, California)

The Keystone, also known as Keystone Berkeley, was a small music club at 2119 University Avenue^[1] in Berkeley, California, which operated in the 1970s and 1980s. Numerous nationally known groups performed there, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Ray Charles, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Metallica and B.B King, Blondie, and Greg Kihn among many others^[2][3] and the club was a regular venue for the Jerry Garcia Band. Keystone Berkeley, run by Freddie Herrera and Bobby Corona, was linked to The Stone and Keystone Palo Alto.^[1][4][5]

John Cipollina performing at Keystone, 1976

Berkeley

Keystone Korner's Freddie Herrera opened Keystone Berkeley, a larger venue, then sold the Keystone Korner to Todd Barkan^[6][7][8] The Keystone Berkeley closed in 1984.^[9]

Keystone Palo Alto

Keystone Palo Alto, at 260 California Avenue, opened 20 January 1977.^[10] The Keystone Palo Alto closed in 1986.^[9] The club became the Vortex in the mid-1980s, then The Edge in 1989,^[11] and closed in April 2000. It was remade into a restaurant, finally as Illusions, a restaurant and nightclub. The building was at various times during the last 50 years, a Purity Market, a Natural food store, a German restaurant, called the Zinzanatti Oom Pah Pah Lounge, a club called Sophies, it then was demolished in October 2013.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]}

The Stone

Marty Balin's Matrix at 3138 Fillmore Street closed in early 1971. Peter Abram, along with John Barsotti and Dave Martin, re-opened the club at 412 Broadway (previously Mr D's) in late summer 1973 but it was unsuccessful, only lasting three months. The New York Dolls played September 4–6. Bob Marley and The Wailers played October 29–30. Legend has it that on Halloween of 1973, Iggy and The Stooges, The Tubes and Sugardaddy played a wild show here, but this show seems to have actually taken place in January 1974 at another venue.^[18]

412 Broadway, San Francisco, then hosted the play Bullshot Crummond and from 1980 to 1990 it was The Stone;^[6] later it was the home of Broadway Showgirls Cabaret.^[18]

Albums recorded at Keystone

• Live at Keystone
• Keystone Encores
• Keystone Companions: The Complete 1973 Fantasy Recordings
• Let It Rock: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 2
• Garcia Live Volume 5
• Kill 'Em All (Deluxe Edition 2016)

References

1. Palaces, Jerry's Brokendown (25 February 2012). "Jerry's Brokendown Palaces: Keystone (New Monk), 2119 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA". jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
2. "Berkeley Photos And Recap". Tom Petty. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
3. "Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers / greg kihn band". Concert Archives. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
4. "No Place to Play Anymore / Not so long ago, San Francisco gave birth to great rock bands -- that doesn't happen today". sfgate.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
5. Selvin, Joel (1 April 1996). San Francisco: The Musical History Tour: A Guide to Over 200 of the Bay Area's Most Memorable Music Sites. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811810074. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via Google Books.
6. Sloane, Kathy; Feinstein, Sascha (8 June 2018). Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253356918. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via Google Books.
7. "Keystone Berkeley". revolution.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
8. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (17 October 1981). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. "Jerry Garcia Band with Bonnie Raitt, Berkeley Greek 8.30.1987". Bonnie's Pride and Joy. 1 September 1987. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
10. "Keystone Palo Alto". revolution.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
11. "The Edge". Metroactive. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
12. "Venue notes: Keystone, Palo Alto CA". www.thirdav.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
13. "Cornell University Library Digital Collections". digital.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
14. The Stanford Daily (24 February 1977). "24 February 1977 — The Stanford Daily". stanforddailyarchive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
15. Franklin8491 (23 October 2013). "The Demolition of the Keystone Palo Alto - October 14 - 22, 2013". Retrieved 8 June 2018 – via YouTube.
16. "Jerry Garcia Band Setlist at Keystone, Palo Alto". setlist.fm. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
17. "Bay Area Thrash Metal - Murder in the Front Row". Metroactive. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
18. Corry342 (18 September 2009). "412 Broadway, San Francisco, CA: The Matrix: Iggy and The Stooges & The Tubes October 31, 1973". Rock Archaeology 101. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

37°52′21″N 122°16′04″W / 37.87245°N 122.26786°W / 37.87245; -122.26786